


See You Soon...

by Your1upGirl



Series: Aerith Week 2021 [4]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Aerith Week 2021, Day 4: Yellow Flowers, Foreshadowing, Light Angst, Sad, enjoy, this also has like one oc but not really, very light swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29325090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Your1upGirl/pseuds/Your1upGirl
Summary: It's a normal day for everyone in the Sector 7 slums. But not for Aerith.Part of Aerith Week 2021. Theme: Yellow Flowers.
Series: Aerith Week 2021 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2149536
Kudos: 1





	See You Soon...

The day was normal for everyone else in the Sector 7 slums. People got out of bed to start the day, the smell of brewed coffee wafted from the cafe, and children begged for a few minutes more before complying to the calls that awoke them. The cats made their usual rounds through the nooks and crannies of the fallen walls and rotten wood. But for Aerith this was not just some normal day. Yet, to the world around her, she went about her business as usual. Going down to the orphanage with a fresh bouquet of flowers in her wicker basket. It was a Saturday so she helped the children make pancakes with a fresh blueberry compote from their garden. It was a pleasant morning with the kids. Aerith enjoyed breakfast with the kids, and as she washed the dishes a group of children came to her.

“Hey Aerith! We’re planning a big play with all of the kids in the Sector! Do you wanna help us tonight?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, but I can’t tonight. I have plans.” The disappointment was evident on their faces. She dried her hands and knelt down to their level. “You know that I would drop all my plans for you guys but this is something that I can’t reschedule. I’m sure you’ll do great even without me there. I’ll be cheering you on in spirit.” 

That seemed to do it for the kids because they all cheered in excitement, hugged Aerith, and left. She finished the rest of the dishes and said her goodbyes to Ms. Folia before leaving.

Next stop was the cafe. They always appreciated the help and business seemed to get better when people saw Aerith was working. An hour or two past, all the while Aerith chatted with anyone who stopped by, and delivered coffee and food to the patrons. Not once during this time did the smile falter from her lips. It was a nice change in the atmosphere when Aerith was present. It was like her presence made things better no matter where she was in the slums. It finally came down to hang up the apron but another worker stopped to ask a question.

“Hey, Aerith? Thanks a bunch for the help you know that we appreciate it but, do you think you can stop by again this evening? A birthday is being held here and we could use the help. I hear the people from other sectors are stopping by.”

“A birthday huh.” Only in that moment did the smile fade. Aerith’s back was turned so the employee didn’t catch what she had mumbled.

“Come again?”

“It’s nothing. Sorry, but I have plans this evening and they can’t be rescheduled.” A feeble grin replaced the once vibrant one as she left the compact back area of the cafe.

The flower girl made her way to the outskirts of the slums to gather herbs for the doctor, and she seemed to only get them to grow in this specific spot.

Aerith plucked the delicate leaves from the plant as she scolded herself. “There’s no need to act this way. Yup, it’s all normal. Birthdays happen all the time. Every. Single. Day-Damn it! Son of a-” With each spoken word her frustration grew, and that frustration caused her to break one of stalks. “Sorry little one” She whispered to the plant in her hand, then glanced at the rest of them, “These herbs are hard to come by.” Picking off the rest of the leaves from that stalk, she put everything in her basket and started to walk to the clinic in the slums. 

Head down stuck in thought from the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar plant growing. “Well, whatta you know.” A tiny sprout of the same medicinal herb grew along the path. A seed must have fallen during one of her trips to and fro. “When one living thing dies, another is reborn. I guess all that’s true.” _But still, to imagine a life coming in today of all days _, it almost made Aerith bitter.__

__She continued to walk, making a mental note to move the sprout with its family tomorrow morning. Trying to take things on the chin, Aerith walked with a half-hearted smile on her face. It wasn’t until she reached the clinic that she perked up as best she could. The doctor greeted her at the door._ _

__“Ah Aerith, it’s good to see you. I see you brought the herbs again as well.”_ _

__“Yup, I told you I would! Brought a basket full this time so you wouldn’t run out too fast.”_ _

__“You truly are a Godssend Aerith.” They talked for a bit longer. She reminded him once again about the proper drying techniques and how long to let them steep to bring out their full potential. But at some point during this exchange, the Doctor noticed that Aerith’s normal spark was missing. “Something bothering you today?”_ _

__A much more honest smile replaced the mask she was wearing. Then a sigh and a breathy laugh followed, “Has it been that obvious?”_ _

__He chuckled, “If you’re worried about others noticing, then you’re fine. But I, however, have been checking up on you since you were a little girl.” When Aerith didn’t speak for a minute he got concerned, then she confessed._ _

__“It’s just that, I’ve been turning a lot of people down today. I dunno, guess I just feel bad. But tonight, I want to take some time to myself...Go to the church.”_ _

__“The church? Oh, yes, I remember.” The emptied wicker basket was returned to Aerith’s hands. The doctor held them for a moment. “Don’t feel bad sweetheart, if they knew, I know they would understand. The sun is setting. You should head over now before it gets too dark. Don’t worry about Elmyra. I’ll let her know you left.”_ _

__Aerith did just that, however she did stop by the house to pick some flowers before making her way to the church: past the clinic and the children holding their play, past the cafe with the people celebrating life, and past all the other people of the sector who asked for her to stay a while. One person even yelled out, “Hey Aerith! Whatcha going out so late for? Going to see someone special?”_ _

__“Yeah, something like that.” She called back. There was a chorus of “Ooooos” as she left to the main road, a wicker basket of yellow flowers tight in her grip._ _

__Aerith reached her first destination of the night, the Sector 7 Station platform. It was a Saturday evening. The plate above gave allowed rays of deep oranges, reds, and light purples, and it wasn’t busy at all. Most people were either home or had already made it to their destination for the night. Aerith knelt down near the station landing. Her warm hands felt the cold concrete._ _

__This was where her mother died._ _

__As a child, she didn’t think much of it, _I’m not sad, Mama just returned to the planet _, she had told Elmyra once. But as she got older, that acceptance of her death became harder to swallow. There were moments when she did see her, but they were cursory: A brief dream, a hallucination in the crowd, but never anything permanent. It is that lack of permanency that every year since she was a teenager, Aerith would bring the yellow flowers to this spot in the train station. They were a symbol of reunion after all. And yes, they are very popular among lovers, but reunion can come from any type of relationship. So, why couldn’t it represent the reunion between a mother and daughter?___ _

____Aerith continued walking to the church. In that patch of dirt sticking out of the floorboards, were the same yellow flowers. She sat among the blooms. Elmyra had told her as a child that the dirt had been barren until she showed up. Aerith took it as a sign that her mother was still here in some way. One life is gone, another is reborn. Along with cut golden floral, the basket held two up rooted flowers from the garden at her house. Aerith replanted them with the others and sat in the middle of them._ _ _ _

____“I miss you Mom. I know that sounds selfish after everything Elymra has done for me but-” Her soft voice echoed within the desolate building. “You told me, all those years ago that you wanted me to have a better life. You escaped because of me. You must have been so scared and yet...your fear didn’t matter if it meant I would be safe.” She gave a sarcastic laugh and continued. “And here I am, trapped again underneath the plate, and still under Shinra surveillance. All because I’m too scared to leave.” She shook her head, “This-this couldn’t have been the life you wanted for me, but I guess anything is better than being Shinra’s lab rat...dog.” Aerith felt a tear fall. She carefully laid down in the flowers and took in their scent, their comfort, and their symbol. “Reunion. I bet you chose these flowers because you knew what they meant. We’ll meet again Mom. I don’t know why but, I have this feeling I’ll see you again, soon. It’s as if-,” She paused. As if what? To tell the truth, Aerith didn’t even know. But something was telling her that this peace she was feeling, that this life, wouldn’t last and that she would see her Mother again._ _ _ _

____“I’m sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear that from your daughter.” There was silence as the light from the moon and plate beamed through the cracks in the and hole in the roof–an unbalanced mix of man-made and nature. “How about this instead: You wanted a better life, one free from Shinra. One day, I’ll leave the wall! That prospect horrifies me, but I’ll do it for you. Just like you did for me.” Having found joy in this moment she got up and grabbed her basket. “I promise, I’ll make it out of here. No more running.” Aerith looked up through the hole in the church ceiling and at the blinking lights of the steel sky above. “Do you think I’ll miss it once I leave?” With that, she walked out the door, turning back just briefly to say goodbye one last time._ _ _ _

____The station came into view once again on her way home, and she stopped to look out into the night and at the wall of Midgard. It was a new challenge that she must overcome. One that made her heart race. Was it with fear or excitement, she couldn’t tell which. Come what way Aerith would leave._ _ _ _

____“Needin’ to go somewhere miss?” The train worker asked from the platform above._ _ _ _

____“Yes. But, it’s not a place where the train can take me.” Footstep followed footstep, and her basket hung lazily from her arm. Yellow flowers glimmered in the night. “I know I’ll see you soon Mom, but not before I see what’s beyond the wall for both of us.”_ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. c:


End file.
